MBSS Site Summary for: NANJ-301-R-2008

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site NANJ-301-R-2008-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site NANJ-301-R-2008-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on NANJEMOY CREEK in the Nanjemoy Creek watershed, 8-digit code: 02140110.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/11/2008 and again in the summer on 7/23/2008.

Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) Results:

An Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) is a scientific tool used to identify and classify stream health. An IBI associates anthropogenic influences on a stream or with biological condition in the stream, and is formulated using data developed from biosurveys.
Details on the development and application of MBSS IBIs are in this document.
Fish IBI Fair - 3.7 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 5.0 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 9,759 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 2.3 %
Agricultural Land Use 14.8 %
Forested Land Use 80.4 %


Stream showing woody debris, logs, and rocky substrate.
An example of woody debris in a stream.

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 16/20 (Optimal)
Epifaunal Substrate 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 13/20 (Suboptimal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 75 meters 		13/20 (Suboptimal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 22 meters 		9/20 (Marginal)
Shading 75 %
Embeddedness 60 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 60%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 24.8 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 4.1 mg/L
Dissolved oxygen levels measured in the stream were very low (4.1 mg/L). Many fishes and other aquatic animals cannot tolerate low levels of oxygen in the water.
pH (lab) 6.04
Conductivity 72 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		54.8 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 8.6378 mg/L

Biological Stream Condition:

Surveys of the organisms living within a stream can give indications of stream health. Species richness, or the number of different species present, as well as indicator species (species whose presence, absence or abundance can serve as a measure of environmental conditions) are informative for stream health. 		Close-up of a mayfly indicator species.

Fish Survey Results:
The following 11 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
Redbreast Sunfish 29
American Eel 28
Pumpkinseed 28
Tessellated Darter 13
Least Brook Lamprey 12
Sea Lamprey 8
Margined Madtom 6
Bluegill 5
Brown Bullhead 5
Chain Pickerel 4
White Sucker 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Eastern Cricket Frog
Northern Green Frog
Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Upland Chorus Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus
Procambarus clarkii

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 13
Capniidae Small Winter Stonefly 9
Psilotreta Mortarjoint Casemaker Caddisfly 9
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 8
Lumbriculidae Worm 8
Polypedilum Non-Biting Midges 5
Stenelmis Beetle 5
Prosimulium Black Fly 5
Sphaerium Fingernail Clam 5
Bezzia Biting Midge 4
Caecidotea Isopod 4
Hexatoma Crane Fly 4
Eurylophella Mayfly 3
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Micropsectra Non-Biting Midges 2
Gammarus Amphipod 2
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 2
Boyeria Spotted Darner Dragonfly 1
Stenacron Mayfly 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Tvetenia Non-Biting Midges 1
Tubificidae Aquatic Worm 1
Chimarra Fingernet Caddisfly 1
Prostoma Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 1
Simulium Black Fly 1
Stylogomphus Clubtail Dragonfly 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 1
Parametriocnemus Non-Biting Midges 1
Triaenodes Long-Horned Caddisfly 1
Caenis Mayfly 1
Kick net sampling for macroinvertebrates.
Sampling with a kick net.

Information disclaimer: The information and data on this page is for guidance and general planning purposes only. It should not be used to make decisions on specific matters.